Brace yourself for a roller coaster of an evening as we learn about the ups and downs of fertility science, speed through the history of Disneyland, and ride the twists and turns of credit card security! Plus adult drinks, delicious bao, DJ, and librarians. And you don’t even need to be *this* tall to enjoy the ride. Be there and be square!

———————————-

“Can Your Fertility Save Your Life?” by Dr. Paul Turek

Infertility has typically been thought of as an unfortunate circumstance of life but not much more. In fact, infertility can impact quality of life and productivity. It’s also viewed as a biomarker for health issues, including cancer. And infertility may actually be the “ultimate” medical disease of a species: If present, then reproduction is hampered and species health is threatened. Think of Clive Owen in Children of Men. So, it may not be farfetched to consider one’s fertility status as the “fifth vital sign” of health.

Dr. Turek is Director of The Turek Clinic (www.TheTurekClinic.com), former Professor at UCSF, blogger on men’s health issues (www.TurekonMensHealth.com), and founder of a volunteer medical clinic powered by retired physicians for the working uninsured in San Francisco (www.ClinicbytheBay.org). He recently received an NIH grant to develop an artificial testicle to make sperm in a dish.

———————————-

“Growing Up in the Happiest Place on Earth: A Brief History of Disneyland” by Dr. Jeffrey Silverman

Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth, has welcomed over 650 million guests since it opened and is one of the most popular theme parks in the world. Jeff will give a brief history of Disneyland and recount some of the most unbelievable (but true!) stories from its over sixty year history. He’ll also share some personal experiences from his hundreds of visits to Disneyland, as well as the summer he spent working there.

Dr. Jeffrey Silverman has a PhD in Astrophysics from UC Berkeley and used to study exploding stars. He’s currently a data scientist at Samba TV where, among other things, he tries to calculate how many people watch ESPN and The Disney Channel. Jeff grew up in Anaheim, CA about a mile away from Disneyland, where he spent much of his childhood. He’s also presented at multiple Nerd Nites!

———————————-

“How Your New Credit Card is Like Wonder Woman” by Debra J. Farber

Your payment cards are embedded with microchips that, like Wonder Woman’s bulletproof bracelets and shield, protect you from evildoers! But how do these super-powered EMV cards stop fraudsters, identity thieves, and black hats in their tracks, exactly? And what about security measures in other payment platforms, like phones, wearables, Amazon Echo, cryptocurrencies, and soon our cars and refrigerators? This lively talk will make you feel like Wonder Woman: filled with a sense of power, grace, wisdom, and wonder.

Debra J. Farber is a data privacy and security consultant with 15 years’ experience, and CEO and Principal Consultant at Farber Strategies Inc. Most recently, Debra served as Sr. Director, Global Public Policy (Privacy & Security) at Visa.